Long weekend

Shame

Straight and boring

I've been thinking of doing something new with my hair.  I had reached the point where I desperately needed to get the color touched up, but I knew that I wanted something more.

I vaguely remembered a coworker getting a digital perm while on vacation in Taiwan.  I checked it out online, and after talking with her, I thought I'd take the plunge. 

You might be wondering "What?  A perm?  Is this 1984?"  or "What the hell is a digital perm?"  Both are very valid questions.  Beauty technology, like all technology, has made incredible advances.  Again, like all technology, we have the Japanese to thank.  

A digital perm is similar to a traditional cold perm as the hair is wrapped in rods.  It is different than a cold perm because the rods are plugged into a digital machine which regulates the temperature of the rods.  The process uses a combination of heat and chemicals to restructure the shape of the hair.

The result is larger, bouncier curls.  The curls can be enhanced by drying your hair with a diffuser or they can look like loose, beach waves if left to dry on their own.  

After an exhaustive search and consultations, I decided to go to a Japanese stylist in Beverly Hills.  Apparently she also has many Japanese celebrities as clients, so I figured I'd be in good hands.  

Before

Straight, boring hair

During 1

A deep conditioning solution is applied to my hair.  My head is then wrapped in saran wrap, and they add heat.  Pretty flattering pic, no?

During 2

My hair is rolled into rods.  The rods are plugged into a machine.  I'm certain the machine was scanning my brain, but my stylist tells me no.  I still think she is lying.

During 3

After I'm done with the brain scan, my hair was seriously curly.  I looked like a Chinese orphan Annie.

The stylist applied a neutralizing solution to my hair, and she pinned big sections into large curls.

After

Here is the after.  I added the sepia tone to make it easier to see the waves.

Dig perm day 1

One bummer about this process is that you can't wash your hair for two days while the chemicals set.  I rolled my hair into large rollers and put on a shower cap.  This is what it looked like after removing the rollers and adding some styling spray.

Dig perm day 1

A slightly better picture of my hair after the shower.